Free Bite of the Moon: Paranormal Shapeshifter Romance Boxed Set by Erika Masten, Catherine Vale, Bryce Evans, Michelle Fox, Elle Boon, Katalina Leon

what she was looking for.
    I was dumped like garbage, remember? Not looking for a repeat. She crossed her arms and turned her head until she couldn’t see Kane. No, she needed to get her life back on track, which meant controlling her wolf and going back to school. That was it. No dating. No love. No fun extras.
    "We’re here," Kane said as he pulled his cruiser into a parking spot. A couple patrol officers were outside having a smoke and did a double-take as they caught sight of the broken windows on his cruiser.
    "So I’ll see you later tonight, right? And then tomorrow for dinner at your parents' house?" Charlotte grabbed her purse and opened her door. The patrol officers were coming toward them, curiosity shining in their eyes, and she talked fast so they wouldn’t overhear anything.
    "Yeah, I guess."
    Charlotte looked back at him, taking in his guarded expression. This confused her a bit. He should be happy; she was fixing his problem. "You don’t sound too excited. I thought you’d be thrilled to get your mom off your back."
    Kane shrugged. "It depends on how you define 'girlfriend from Hell.' Are my parents going to need therapy by the time you're done with them? I don't want to make things worse."
    "Don’t worry. I won’t take it too far. Promise." She walked off just as one of the patrol officers started to talk to the sheriff. She wasn’t sure how Kane was going to handle things with his job, and she didn’t want anyone asking her questions.
    Charlotte hustled out of sight, her purse slung over her shoulder, and headed toward Java Jump to retrieve her car, but Kane’s presence stayed with her. She could smell him, as if part of his essence had transferred to her, and she couldn’t stop thinking about how tall and strapping he looked in his sheriff’s uniform. An image flashed in her mind of sliding her hands up his shirt and feeling those hard pecs for herself.
    She slapped a hand to her cheek. "Get a grip," she growled to herself. But damned if it wasn’t difficult to keep Kane out of her mind and nose.
    ***
    Close to dinnertime, Charlotte pulled into the driveway of Audrey’s house. Like her, Audrey had been bitten , but somehow it had worked out better for her than anyone else. She'd become Tao's mate and radiated a palpable happiness.  Since Tao now lived there, too, the ranch house served as the meeting center for all the people Nick had bitten. They'd been gathering almost weekly since being bitten. Sometimes to run and other times to discuss pack business.
    Charlotte stepped out of her car, her stomach uneasy. She'd spent the day reading romance novels and trying not to panic or jump at every little sound she heard outside the house. Driving alone made her realize how vulnerable she was. Anyone could take a shot at her at any time. She’d ended up slouching down in her seat and then feeling silly about doing it. Except she wasn’t being paranoid.
    Shaking her head, she shut her car door and clicked the button on her remote that would lock the vehicle. She would feel better once she got inside. Four walls offered more safety than a car, and she wouldn’t be alone.
    Walking up the driveway to the front door, she scanned all around her, looking for danger. Audrey’s modest ranch was quiet and far from its neighbors. An array of bird feeders and water baths dotted the lawn. In the summer, there’d been wildflowers for the birds, bees, and butterflies, but with winter coming, nothing bloomed save a few lonely marigolds.
    She hadn’t known Audrey until she became a werewolf. Charlotte had gone off to college right around the time Audrey moved into town. However, they had quickly become confidantes. Despite the grim circumstances pulling them together, Charlotte was excited to see her friend. She always understood what Charlotte was going through.
    Audrey opened the door with a wide smile. "Hey, Char!"
    The two women hugged. "You look great," Charlotte said, taking in her friend’s dark indigo